I'm sure some people would answer differently depending on different games, but I'm speaking "in general" here.

I'm a dungeons man. I think that is where the tightest puzzles are, and of course the boss fights. I like the overworld too though, I'd never want it to be just one or the other. (Though in 4 Swords it was probably wise to have "levels" instead of an overworld and dungeons, albeit many levels were in overworld-like areas...)

I wonder if Skyward Sword is really going to change the whole progression up?

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I like a nice balance of both.

Like in Darksiders.

I always view the dungeons as a reward for my progress in the overworld. To me, the dungeons are kind of the 'stars' of the game. I'd like to really see them blur the lines though, maybe not unlike Metroid Prime in a way. MP was basically one big obstacle course. I don't want Zelda to become that, but I'd like to see stretches of the game like that, because we haven't really seen that in a Zelda game before. (except for FSA, where even the grassy areas were kind of their own dungeons)

@New Forms Don't be wishy washy Charlie Brown! Pick one!

Overworld for me as you well know! A dungeon locks me down and forces my hand in progress... Traps me in this little labyrinth of puzzles and starts up a whole series of worries! "Man, I hope this one doesn't suck..." "Better not be too dark and dank down here..." "Please no sliding boxes" "I hope it's not too long or I'll get bored... "FUCK I HATE GETTING A COMPASS FROM A CHEST" "I hope I don't get stuck in some stupid room for a reason that takes me an hour to figure out because I overlooked something..." "I HOPE I LIKE THE WEAPON I GET" (That's my biggest worry and a lot of weapons recently have just been "Meh" with the ball & chain probably being my favorite in any Zelda ever along with one of my favorite Zelda dungeons sans slideyboxes.)

Sidequests and exploration are my favorite part of Zelda, so overworld.

You know, I've never really thought about this before. Interesting.

Guess I'd pick the dungeons. They're what make Zelda...."Zelda"....at least to me.

I do love the overworlds as well though. Gotta' love exploring for secrets.

It really depends. I thought Ocarina of Time had the best dungeons of any Zelda game and I thought they were the highlights of the game (not that the rest of the game sucked, the whole game is still fantastic).

Then with Majora's Mask, the overworld was definitely the star of the show and the dungeons, while still really good, were not quite as memorable to me.

Wind Waker was the same way. That game was all about sailing and the ocean, highlighted by some good dungeons. Overall the game was just too easy though.

Twilight Princess was where Nintendo messed up the balance I think. TP was too dungeon-heavy and the overworld, while good, there just wasn't enough to do. I loved Twilight Princess but the whole game felt like a giant dungeon crawl.

I'm thinking dungeons mostly. They were what hooked me in OoT.

That being said, I really appreciate an overworld that's chock full of secrets. Just haven't had many good ones, which is why dungeons win out.

@Xbob42
You just authored my exact feelings toward dungeons.

A well-designed dungeon is always a treat, but I often dread them. I am a big fan of exploration and running into things on the overworld that make me go, "OH, neat!"

I also want the compass and map to just be sitting there a la Zelda 1, not in a big chest reveal sequence. Obnoxiousness.

@WrathOfSamus777 It's strange to hear you say that, because I think Majora's Mask has the best dungeons in the series (and the world outside the dungeons feels like a living, breathing world). Maybe that's why I think MM is the best in the series -- it's got the best of both worlds.

I think I prefer the overworld? It's strange, I've never thought about this before. But I love the exploration of the overworld in the earlier games, and I love Wind Waker's seamless Great Sea. And that's what bothers me about Spirit Tracks, the lack of a cohesive overworld. So yeah, let's go with that.

Dungeons, that's where the meat is. But I do love a good balance of both. I just feel none of the games have really made any overworlds that were fully realized (some have come super close hough).

@Zero

Okay. Overworld for me.

A dungeon is a blip on a map. One of a dozen or more. The map itself is the meat of the game for me.

Traversal, exploration, discovery, meeting new people, finding hidden loot...that's what it's about for me.

PogueSquadron said:

I always view the dungeons as a reward for my progress in the overworld. To me, the dungeons are kind of the 'stars' of the game. I'd like to really see them blur the lines though, maybe not unlike Metroid Prime in a way. MP was basically one big obstacle course. I don't want Zelda to become that, but I'd like to see stretches of the game like that, because we haven't really seen that in a Zelda game before. (except for FSA, where even the grassy areas were kind of their own dungeons)

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Overworld, by far. I'd enjoy the dungeons more if they didn't stick out like a sore thumb from the overworld, and if they didn't feel like a chore to slog through.

What is there to prefer about the overworld?

@carlosrox I like the sense of adventure that it offers; I enjoy finding hidden items and locations, and completing subquests for people. Having to enter a dungeon just brings all of that to a halt until I beat it.

The overworld also tends to offer a wider variety of things to look at. You stumble across deserts, snowy mountains, underwater lakes, etc.

I guess I would still say I "prefer" the dungeons though, because I think they deliver more of an emotional punch. The dungeons are what stick in my memory. They mark my progress. They make me feel claustrophobic when I get lost, and I get a nice sense of relief when I'm done them. Also, being isolated areas, they have the opportunity to be much darker than the overworld. They offer areas of danger, while the overworld typically offers a 'safe haven.' In general, I just like that they can be creepy places where sunlight doesn't reach and evil lurks within.

What I'd like to just see is a more subtle take on the dungeons. Maybe a dungeon isn't a "temple", but rather a mine that you need to get through in order to deliver medicine to a dying girl in a town beyond a mountain. Then after you do that section, that mine basically just becomes another part of the overworld, and you have the knowhow and the equipment to breeze through it in seconds.

Edit: One reason I don't like them is that in some Zelda games, the music gets annoying. Phantom Hourglass almost made me blow my brains out. That, and I never bother to take a pee break. I don't know why. My bladder may be about to explode, but I don't go pee. I then beat a boss, and at that point I'm relieved not because I made it through the level, but because I can finally go to the fucking bathroom.

Wow, split 50/50 so far!

A little bit of both for me. I'm 50/50 on 'em, so I voted as such.

PogueSquadron said:

That, and I never bother to take a pee break. I don't know why. My bladder may be about to explode, but I don't go pee. I then beat a boss, and at that point I'm relieved not because I made it through the level, but because I can finally go to the fucking bathroom.

Just like Link!

Seriously, when was the last time you saw him take a toilet break? My theory is that warp at the end of every dungeon takes you to an inter-dimensional toilet so Link can relieve himself. Then once finished he warps back to the entrance of the dungeon.

Nintendo cut that bit in the middle out is all. The 'aim for the bowl' minigame didn't go over well with the playtesters. Plus it's very difficult to pee when you have a fairy in your ear giving you directions.